About Flat Track Coffee
Flat Track Coffee is a specialty roaster and café in Austin, Texas, founded in 2012 by Sterling Roberts and Matt Bolick. Growing out of a coffee catering business, it now operates at 1619 E Cesar Chavez in East Austin alongside a bicycle shop, known for its community-rooted identity and back patio.
About
Flat Track Coffee didn't start behind an espresso bar — it started at events. Founded in 2012 by Sterling Roberts and Matt Bolick, the Austin roaster grew out of a coffee catering business, bringing specialty coffee to gatherings before it had a permanent address. The founders' shared BMX background gave the brand a distinct identity from the start: practical, community-rooted, and a little off the beaten path.
The shop eventually found its footing in East Austin, first on East Cesar Chavez sharing space with Farewell Books, then settling into its current home at 1619 E Cesar Chavez alongside Cycleast, a bicycle repair and retail shop. The pairing feels natural. East Austin's Cesar Chavez corridor has long been a stretch for independent, neighborhood-rooted businesses, and Flat Track fits the block — a specialty roaster that draws cyclists, locals, and anyone who'd rather their coffee come with some character.
Flat Track describes its approach as delivering an "experienced balance of quality flavors," a phrase that favors craft over spectacle. The café has earned recognition in specialty coffee media as one of Austin's standout shops, and its back patio has developed its own following — visitors consistently describe it as a hidden oasis tucked into the neighborhood. A dedicated events program and the Rise & Grind Coffee Club subscription speak to a customer base that has built routines around the place.
More than a decade after its first catered event, Flat Track has earned its spot on the East Austin coffee map without losing the unpretentious spirit that launched it. A specialty roaster and café living next door to a bike shop, close to downtown but rooted in the neighborhood — it's the kind of stop that feels less discovered than earned.
Advertisement
Coffee & Beans Review
Flat Track is a working specialty roaster with a quality-focused approach. The roastery describes its beans as offering an "experienced balance of quality flavors," pointing toward a house style built around consistency and drinkability rather than profile extremes. Specific origin programs and roast level tendencies are not publicly detailed, but the specialty roasting identity is confirmed.
Beyond the café counter, Flat Track supports home brewers through retail bean sales, a wholesale program for local partners, and the Rise & Grind Coffee Club — a recurring subscription with free shipping. The café format covers espresso-based drinks alongside the roastery's retail offerings, with a back patio that gives the experience a neighborhood anchor that many Austin shops can't match.
For online shoppers, the Rise & Grind Coffee Club is the most direct way to keep Flat Track coffee in rotation at home. Wholesale partnership inquiries are handled through the website. As with most independent roasters, checking current online availability before ordering is a good habit.
Coffee at a Glance
- Roaster status
- Profiled
- Roasting style
- Specialty-focused, quality-balanced
- Best coffee drinks
- Iced Mocha, Espresso, Cold Brew
- Bean products
- Subscriptions
- Best buying path
- In store or subscription
- Online beans
- Check availability
- Specialty transparency
- Limited
What regulars say
Real reviews from Google — not ours, not paid.
★★★★★“Amazing spot. The vibe works with any style, chill, stylish, whatever you're into. Quite enough for a good work space. I’ve been here four times while in town, and it never disappoints. The Mexican mocha latte is next-level, and both the latte and espresso are just as impressive.”
— nadia r., via Google
★★★★★“My favorite gem in downtown Austin. Boasting a simple, straight forward menu with an excellent espresso blend and single origin brews available, house syrups and a great chai. A pretty sweet hang around spot, too, and is central to plenty of cool walking spots.”
— Brian S., via Google
★★★★★“some of the best coffee ive had in austin! i had a standard lavender latte and their espresso is sooooo rich. grabbing a coffee and then walking down cesar chavez is the perfect way to spend a saturday afternoon. cant wait to try more from the menu!”
— Kayci B., via Google
What Flat Track Coffee Roasts
plum, melon, chocolate
A seasonal blend of 50% Colombia Supremo, 40% Huehuetenango Guatemala, and 10% Vila Boa Natural Brazil, crafted for round body, dense sweetness, and crisp acidity. Tasting notes of mango, sweet toffee, and rich butterscotch make it especially decadent with milk and well-suited for espresso.
mango, sweet toffee, rich butterscotch
A blend of 33% Colombia Supremo, 33% Honey Process Mexico, and 33% Honduras Santa Lucita from various small producers in South and Central America. A more developed roast with flavors of raw sugar, chocolate, and stone fruit — equally good black or with cream and sugar.
raw sugar, chocolate, stone fruit
See full sourcing detail & the producers behind these beans →
Coffee Profile
Origins
Roast Levels
Flavor Notes
Processing Methods
Services
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Flat Track Coffee located?+
Flat Track Coffee is at 1619 E Cesar Chavez St in East Austin, TX 78702, sharing a building with Cycleast, a local bicycle repair and retail shop.
What makes Flat Track Coffee stand out in Austin?+
Flat Track has an origin story tied to coffee event catering and BMX culture, giving it a distinctly neighborhood feel. Its co-location with a bike shop, East Austin address, and back patio have made it a local fixture recognized in specialty coffee media.
Does Flat Track Coffee roast its own beans?+
Yes. Flat Track is a specialty coffee roaster and café. They roast their own beans and describe their approach as delivering an "experienced balance of quality flavors."
Can I order Flat Track Coffee beans online?+
Yes. Flat Track sells freshly roasted beans through their website at flattrackcoffee.com. They also offer the Rise & Grind Coffee Club, a recurring subscription that includes free shipping.
Does Flat Track Coffee offer wholesale?+
Yes. Flat Track has a wholesale program for local partners. Inquiries can be submitted through the wholesale page on their website.
What is the atmosphere like at Flat Track Coffee?+
The shop has a relaxed, neighborhood character rooted in East Austin's bike and creative culture. There's a back patio that visitors describe as a quiet oasis, and the building's shared space with a bicycle shop gives it an unpretentious, local feel.
Citations & Press
Third-party coverage and sources for Flat Track Coffee.
Featured in Premium Roast Editorial
This listing appears in the following Premium Roast editorial pages.
PremiumRoast.Coffee
Discover your next great cup.
Join our community of specialty coffee lovers — roastery guides, hidden café finds, and city coffee maps delivered to your inbox.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.